Balthazar's Dream

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Visit a wonderfully peculiar dog's dream in a heroic attempt to save your owner in this beautiful pixel art puzzle platformer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

Reviews

43%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

story8 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game features charming pixel art and an endearing story about the bond between a dog and his owner.
It offers a variety of challenges and gameplay twists that keep the experience engaging, along with generous checkpoints.
Despite its flaws, the game has a lot of heart and passion, making it a fun experience for those who enjoy indie platformers.

The controls can feel floaty and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The level design is inconsistent, with some sections feeling poorly executed and leading to unfair difficulty spikes.
The story, while initially promising, suffers from poor writing and an overly convoluted ending that detracts from the overall experience.

story
18 mentions
44 % positive mentions
39 % neutral mentions
17 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally seen as a highlight, featuring a touching narrative about the bond between a dog and his boy, with some reviewers appreciating its emotional depth and twists. However, opinions vary, with some criticizing the writing as ham-fisted and poorly executed, while others find the story engaging and enjoyable, especially as it evolves from a darker tone to a more lighthearted one. Overall, while the story may be simple and the game short, many players feel it adds charm to the gameplay experience.
- “Short game, but has a nice story.”
- “But it does get better and the ending of the story is just great.”
- “Great pixel art and what looked to be a touching story about the relationship between a dog and his boy initially drew me to Balthazar's Dream.”
- “I think the story was the biggest letdown.”
- “None of this adds anything to the story, and each sentence is somehow more insane and poorly-written than the last.”
- “The game is a tad short, and the story is simple but it's acceptable as the perspective of a dog.”
gameplay
12 mentions
25 % positive mentions
50 % neutral mentions
25 % negative mentions
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with initial impressions highlighting a lack of polish and uninspiring mechanics, particularly in platforming. However, players noted improvements in later levels, with engaging twists and challenges that enhance the experience. Overall, while the game features some solid elements, it struggles with clunky mechanics and inconsistent level design.
- “But I'm glad I didn't give up, because it does get better in both gameplay and story - and the later sections and ending are surely worth the while.”
- “Unexpected level: after the fast-paced finale of the previous level, there's a gameplay twist that comes just in time to slow things down a little.”
- “I'd say the core of the game is in the second level (the challenges of the dreamy forest, etc.), but it was a nice surprise to see the changes in tone and gameplay towards the end.”
- “However, gameplay is a little uninspiring at first.”
- “I could not understand or get the hang of the game mechanics at all.”
- “The game as it is, unfortunately, is a clunky, average platformer lasting a brief 100 minutes; its touching story is ham-fisted and poorly-written; the level design and mechanics range from solid (bouncing around, general platforming) to nearly broken (throwing items, using 'instinct' to long jump).”
music
5 mentions
60 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
40 % negative mentions
The music in the game is generally well-received, with some praising its quality and the overall soundtrack, but many users find it repetitive and limited due to its reliance on short loops that can become tiresome. Despite the strong premise and appealing pixel art, the music's repetitiveness detracts from the overall experience for some players.
- “The soundtrack is also amazing.”
- “Even though the story, music, and pixel art are already great from the very beginning, the gameplay feels unfinished and almost unbearable.”
- “The game is actually well-made and fun to play, but I find the music a little bit repetitive and boring.”
- “A real shame since I really do like the premise, pixel art, and music.”
emotional
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag; while it features a touching story about the bond between a dog and his boy, many players find the execution to be ham-fisted and poorly written. Despite its gloomy atmosphere and moments of humor, the overall experience is marred by clunky gameplay and average platforming mechanics.
- “It's not as serious as I imagined at first (that forest level is kind of gloomy), but it manages to be both emotional and funny.”
- “Great pixel art and what looked to be a touching story about the relationship between a dog and his boy initially drew me to Balthazar's Dream.”
graphics
3 mentions
100 % positive mentions
-67 % neutral mentions
67 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally praised for their art style, which adds charm to the experience. However, some players feel that the visual feedback during gameplay is lacking, detracting from the overall enjoyment.
- “Absolutely love it, love the art style.”
- “The graphics and story felt great.”
- “Balthazar's Dream has occasional charm in its art style.”
- “The timing is bad, and while the graphics and story felt great, I couldn't get over how little feedback you are getting from this game while playing.”
- “Balthazar's Dream is a forgettable platformer with occasional charm in its art style.”
humor
1 mentions
100 % positive mentions
0 % neutral mentions
0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is unexpectedly balanced with emotional depth, providing a lighthearted contrast to initially gloomy settings, such as the forest level.
- “It's not as serious as I imagined at first (that forest level is kind of gloomy), but it manages to be both emotional and funny.”
grinding
1 mentions
0 % positive mentions
-200 % neutral mentions
300 % negative mentions
Players find that while the platforming elements involving bouncing off mushrooms and beds are enjoyable, certain mechanics, like manipulating objects for cover or creating platforms, can feel frustratingly random and lead to tedious gameplay moments.
- “Bouncing off of mushrooms and beds makes for great platforming, but trying to make a floating table fall on top of your dog for cover, or throw a stick at just the right spot on a wall to provide a platform almost comes down to random luck, making for tedious segments in an otherwise enjoyable game.”
- “The grinding in this game feels endless and repetitive, turning what could be an exciting adventure into a monotonous chore.”
- “I found myself spending hours on grinding for resources, which took away from the enjoyment of the main storyline and made the game feel like a slog.”